


halōs

by amadriel



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Foot Jobs, M/M, Mastermind Koumyou AU, Minekura Secret Santa, Orgasm Denial, Strangulation, Ukoku being his own warning, how do you guys tag things nowadays idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-23 18:47:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17085713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amadriel/pseuds/amadriel
Summary: The two Sanzo left together, turning their back to the flames now devouring Kinzan."Are you sure?" Ukoku asked, but his tone was an amused one and if he looked concerned it was only about the injury of his companion and not at all about the doomed temple."Of course. This was my idea after all. Are you doubting, Ukoku?""Doubting you? Never."





	halōs

The cold winter wind had filled the room from an hole in a broken window ; though it didn’t bother the man sitting in front of a desk, absorbed by his reading. A single candle seemed to be a sufficient source of light, that and the bright enough full moon, low in the sky, always a silent witness. Its light played with the long hair in the man’s back, revealing strands of pure silver and a few remaining golden ones, barely noticeable. (he would take offense if anyone claimed his hair had entirely turned gray though. Not that he had anyone to talk to lately.)

“What is he doing?” he sighed loudly and stretched before going back to his reading.

If people could see Koumyou Sanzo now, they first wouldn’t believe he would soon turn 60 ; but for those who used to know him before, the first question wouldn’t be about his appearance but rather « how is he still alive? »  
Yes, the gods were always watching, but this was no miracle. The reason was simpler and far more cruel : what happened a decade ago had been nothing more than a well executed act. The entire attack of Kinzan temple. Oh, the monks that had been caught in it actually died ; and Koumyou Sanzo really did lose his left arm while protecting Kouryuu from a deadly attack. (this much wasn’t planned, but in the end it all appeared way more realistic) But his death? That long moment Kouryuu spent alone in the room with his corpse, cursing himself from not having been strong enough to protect him?  
An illusion. The entire night, the people of Kinzan were caught in an illusion that made them believe Koumyou Sanzo had been killed and the youkais had stolen the Seiten sutra. All of this had been possible thanks to the powers of another youkai, and Koumyou felt almost bad that he had forgotten his name already. That youkai had been fun to be around too, even if Ukoku didn’t seem to share the sentiment.

But what really happened twelve years ago? Koumyou simply left with his sutra in his hand, walking past monks who couldn’t see him, deaf to the screams of those who were slaughtered by remaining youkais. Right past the door, Ukoku and the illusionist youkai waited for him. Oh, the look on Ukoku’s face when he noticed the missing arm and the blood soaking Koumyou’s white robes ; it had been enough to make the older monk laugh. « At least I still have the right one! I can still write. »

The two Sanzo left together, turning their back to the flames now devouring Kinzan.

“Are you sure ?” Ukoku asked, but his tone was an amused one and if he looked concerned it was only about the injury of his companion and not at all about the doomed temple.

“ Of course. This was my idea after all. Are you doubting, Ukoku?”

“ Doubting _you_? Never.”

And they vanished.

Koumyou spent most of the following months resting and adapting to a prosthetic arm now replacing the missing one ; Ukoku made as much jokes as possible about Koumyou’s age and how long he needed to recover from such a wound – to what Koumyou retorted it was his first time losing an entire limb and this had nothing to do with his age.

But what were the two Sanzo up to? A quite... simple task : reuniting the _Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon_ .  
Why? Pure curiosity. Owning two of the sutras made Koumyou Sanzo wonder what it would be like to have all of them. Of course, he wasn’t planning to steal Ukoku Sanzo’s Muten sutra ; no need for that if Ukoku worked with him after all. But they needed a way to gather the others without raising suspicions or getting caught. The plan wasn’t an easy one, and they spent years without any results… but that was before the awakening of Gyokumen Koushu. An ideal suspect, easy to manipulate in the shadows ; Ukoku joined her under the guise of an eccentric scientist well-versed in the powers of the sutras and made her believe she needed them to revive Gyumaoh. The greedy woman sent an army to retrieve the sutras all over the globe. That was almost too easy!

Meanwhile, Koumyou Sanzo observed. It seemed that his little Kouryuu, now Genjo Sanzo, was sent to stop the revival of Gyumaoh and retrieve the Seiten sutra. Oh, little did he and _the gods_ know that the Seiten sutra in Gyokumen’s hands was a fake, that the Uten sutra found by Kougaiji was quickly replaced by Ukoku by a fake as well and that all of them were actually in Koumyou Sanzo’s possession.  
But what a lovely trick of fate that Genjo Sanzo, now a young adult, was the one ending up with this task. Koumyou appreciated this turn of event greatly and couldn’t wait for their _warm_ reunion. After all, he still had the Maten sutra, and Koumyou _needed_ it. He only left it behind because little Kouryuu was clinging to it and, if he had to be honest, with the hope that one day his successor would be the one to bring him back what was _his_. He had his own plan for him too.

A cloud of smoke now danced over the head of the old monk lost in thought as he brought his pipe to his lips, reminiscing. How quick these twelve years passed, and now his goal was coming closer everyday. Which reminded him, where was…

It seemed someone was reading his mind because as soon as he wondered once more what was taking Ukoku so long (he had left weeks ago. While it wasn’t the first time he didn’t come back for a long while, usually he sent messages and Koumyou always knew where he was and what he was doing. Not this time.), he heard the sound of something crashing in the corridor. There was only one person who knew about this place, and Koumyou could tell miles away who this was, however… there was something off with how heavy his footsteps were and how he seemed to crash into everything.  
Ukoku opened the door, or rather, left his entire body weight against the door to open it and walked in, a hand covering his face. His eyes used to the dim light, Koumyou could tell right away that the shadow that seemed to cover Ukoku’s face and fingers was actually blood. His hesitating footsteps and the way he moved like his body was too heavy was easily explained; he couldn’t see.

“Ukoku! What happened?”

“Haha Koumyou… so glad to hear your voice. I thought I’d never found my way back; what a trip this was.” he let himself fall on a chair, sighing in relief to have finally some rest.

“Weren’t you supposed to meet that young priest from the west and come back? What took you so long?”

Ukoku’s laugh sounded as if he was embarrassed to explain. He couldn’t see it, but Koumyou’s features slowly changed from worry to a somber expression he rarely made, as he started to understand what his companion wasn’t saying.

“Well, I... played a little trick on Genjo’s friend.” Ukoku finally explained in a very detached voice, as if his entire face covered in blood was no big deal,  
“Nothing big, I just wanted to tease them a bit, but when I went to meet Hazel, little Genjo was with him. His friends joined us and we had a pleasant chat. These young lads are very entertaining! But as I was leaving, little Genjo managed to make me this _present_.”

Koumyou said nothing as he removed Ukoku’s hand to take a look at the wound. After he wiped out as much blood as he could, most of it already dried and stuck to the skin, he could see how deep the wound actually was; it went from Ukoku’s right eyelid, torn and gaping open like burnt paper, to the bridge of his nose. His left eye was almost intact, but without his glasses and the blood that entered it, he probably couldn’t see much anymore.  
Koumyou muttered something to himself, probably something that Ukoku was glad he didn’t hear, and extended his right arm over his head; in his hand, the scroll of the Seiten sutra appeared.

“I’ll take care of it. Don’t move.”

Like Ukoku, Kouymou didn’t need to chant to activate his sutra. His mind was always clear enough, his powers great enough to use it whenever he wanted.  
The purifying Seiten sutra surrounded Ukoku entirely in white light, dozens of scrolls appearing from behind Koumyou’s arm. This wasn’t the first time Ukoku experienced the power of the Seiten, and yet, each time he was amazed by it (not that he would admit it to Koumyou). He could feel pure energy run into his entire sore body as if cleansing it and leaving it all new, converging to his eyes in a tingling, not disagreeable, feeling that made the hair on the back of his neck stands.  
As quickly as it started, it was over – the light was gone, and the endless scrolls retracted in Koumyou’s hand. Ukoku blinked a few times, touching his eyes where the wound had been to notice even the dried blood had now disappeared. He opened both eyes and- immediately squinted.

“I still have a spare pair glasses somewhere around here, right?”

“Here.” Koumyou handed him the pair he retrieved beforehand, “I figured you would need it.”

“Ah much better, much better.” Ukoku looked around for a short while then his eyes met Koumyou’s.

“Why do I still need these after you healed my eyes, though? I thought I would suddenly see clearer than an eagle.”

“How many times do I have to repeat this? The Seiten sutra doesn’t heal, it _restores_. What it did was restore your eyes to their original state; if your sight has always been bad, then that’s how far it will go. It cannot ‘heal’ it beyond a point that never was.”

“Awww, pity. Well, it’s better than nothing. What would I do without you, Koumyou~?”

“You would be dead, that’s one thing I’m sure of.”

Koumyou sighed and seemed to return to whatever he was doing before Ukoku literally crashed inside. _Seemed_ .  
As Ukoku was relaxing, stretching his arms and happily rambling about how great it was to see again for the first time in weeks, he suddenly found himself out of breath because of a kick in his chest that sent him on the floor. Before he could do anything (and really, being faster than him was something) Koumyou was already sitting on his stomach, one hand around his throat in a solid grip, strong enough to be painful but not completely preventing him from breathing.

“Now what did I say about Kouryuu?” he asked, and as his smile slowly dropped, Ukoku knew he should have lied about the reason of his injury.

“Koumyou, don’t be---” the grip tightened, strangling him. Both of Ukoku’s hands grabbed Koumyou’s wrist but more as a reflex than as a real attempt to loosen his hand; they both knew that when Koumyou was serious, Ukoku had no chance to make him move a single finger, even if it was one hand against two.

“What." a pause, to let Ukoku think carefully, "Did I say.”

The usual serene expression on the monk’s face was gone, replaced by a cold, stern gaze that sent shivers to Ukoku’s spine and turned his lips into a nervous smile.

“He’s _yours_ , I--- I know.” he managed to reply in a gasp for air.

“Exactly. _I am_ the one who will take care of Kouryuu when the time has come. I already warned you once. Must you keep testing me?”

“I was not---” Koumyou’s second hand, the prosthetic one, guided each of Ukoku's arms above his head and pinned both wrists on the floor, the synthetic skin always cool against the younger priest’s. (and he had to admit it, to be entirely in his mercy that way was slowly turning him on.)

“Not testing. I promise you Koumyou, I didn’t plan to--- meet him. He’s the one who was” a strangled noise, “looking for me.”

Ukoku painfully tried to swallow. The grip loosened a second as to permit it, long fingers almost caressing the skin under them before closing once again around his throat in a vicious trap.

“That may be true. But he was looking for you because _you_ provoked him, didn’t you?”

 _Shit_ , his eyes were cold as ice- and Ukoku was instantly hard. Forget that ‘slowly’ part.  
He knew he was supposed to fear him, especially when he was so clearly disappointed in him and in a mood, but there was something so satisfying about knowing he was _the one_ who made Koumyou Sanzo, always master of his emotions, display such raw anger. He was only noticing now how the old man’s hair was unfastened and pooled around his face in gorgeous silver strands he really wanted to run his hand into.  
He licked his lips; his neck would surely bruise for days after this and the lack of oxygen was only making it better. This punishment thing was only fueling his jerking-off material for the next couple of weeks, and though Koumyou wasn’t in his head to read the script Ukoku was already writing, he wasn’t completely blind either to his reaction. He shook his head and sighed:

“There won’t be a next time.” the tone was harsh, full of promises and while it wasn’t supposed to be so hot, it sure was in Ukoku’s ears, “Are we clear?”

Ukoku simply nodded this time instead of trying to articulate half-strangled words. Koumyou let go of his hands and, only after a short while that seemed like years for Ukoku, the pressure on his throat was also gone. Koumyou got up and went back to his desk, leaving a breathless, teary-eyed Ukoku on the floor, massaging his painful neck and not so eager to move yet.  
He raised his head to see what Koumyou was doing and when he noticed he was reading some book, he dragged back his chair and sat up next to the desk. He wasn’t in the mood to read and enjoy Koumyou’s idea of a peaceful evening, complete with a bottle of sake and a couple of books and scrolls (though the bottle of sake was never a bad idea; Ukoku had learn to appreciate it) not after that hellish trip to get back here, half blind. And especially not after _that_ . What he wanted right now was to bother his companion and distract him from his reading until he got all his entire attention, and that was exactly what he was going to do.  
Making himself comfortable in his chair, he started to ramble about his trip in the forest, carefully omitting the part where he fought against Genjo Sanzo and his friends, how interesting it was to witness Hazel turn into the thing he loathed the most and- _oh?_ Koumyou turned his head in his direction. That was fast.

“Did you pay that child a visit?”

Ah, that was too good to be true.

“I was kiiinda in a hurry when I got _home_ so no, I didn’t stop by his room.” Ukoku shrugged.

“Oh that’s right. Well, make sure to go see him later, he’ll surely be glad to hear your voice.” Koumyou’s tone was his usual soft one now, and he turned back his eyes to his book.

 _Whatever_ , thought Ukoku.

Saving that child from his collapsing castle had been Koumyou’s doing. Ukoku had no plans for a kid who failed that miserably and thought dying here cursing a fictional god was a fitting punishment, but well, he wasn’t the boss here, was he? So he had to go along with whatever Koumyou was thinking. Even after being healed by the Seiten sutra, that kid stayed in a comatose state. That was a first, Koumyou noticed, because except for the burnt scar on his eye, his entire body had been restored - but his mind refused the sacred healing and stayed out of reach, locked far, far away. Good riddance! Unfortunately, Koumyou was _stubborn_ .  
After almost a year, that child was still in the same state and the two priests (well, mostly Koumyou) made sure his body get all the nutrients and exercise it needed for the day he’d wake up. Ukoku knew exactly why Koumyou saved that useless kid even though _he_ had been the one to raise (and abandon) him, and he wasn’t exactly okay with it, but now wasn’t the good time to bring it back.

Ah, great. As usual, that stupid kid ruined everything; just remembering him and Ukoku’s mood for the evening was spoiled. He was thinking of paying him a visit to vent out whatever was on his mind and maybe mess with him like in the _good old days_ but a sudden pressure on his stomach stopped him. He looked down to see Koumyou’s bare foot slowly making its way to his crotch and oh, he definitely noticed, didn’t he? That Ukoku was still kinda hard from that whole strangling thing.  
Well, the ‘ _kinda_ ’ part turned into _‘hella_ ’ as his blood rushed south when Koumyou’s feet gently brushed his erection through the fabric of his black robes. He slightly shifted his shoulders, ready to discard his dirty clothing right away but a single _“tsk”_ from Koumyou’s direction and he froze. If he wanted this to continue, he’d have to stay still – roger that.

With the years, he had learnt to play by Koumyou’s rules, even when said rules were bullshit.

Koumyou was still reading, turning pages after pages without looking up to meet Ukoku’s gaze a single time. That was only making him harder, a moan stuck in his sore throat, as the cool skin of Koumyou’s naked feet seeped against his already burning one.  
With how things turned when he arrived, he didn’t take the time to appreciate how Koumyou’s different attire today complimented him. He had noticed before the lack of his usual braid leaving his long hair all over his shoulders but not how he was wearing a black kimono (probably one of Ukoku’s because did he even own one?) contrasting against the barely revealed pale skin of his neck, wrists, and his extended leg. The moon shining so brightly behind him was hiding his face in shadows and making a mock halo around his head with the way his light hair reflected it. From time to time, he picked up his pipe and the strong smell of tobacco now filled the room; just looking at him, with this familiar smell all over after weeks of being far away from him left Ukoku panting. He wanted to touch him so badly, disrobe him entirely and leave marks all over his body – he wasn’t sure anymore what was worst, not being able to do so or having to endure the sweet torture of his feet caressing his length.

Curved toes pressing harder on the tip of his erection made him shift in his chair, Koumyou’s name on his lips as a chant, just barely whispered. He was so close and yet that wasn’t quite enough, he needed more, and when he tried to get closer, to accentuate the friction, Koumyou almost removed his leg as a warning. So unfair! And yet the old man stayed unbothered, eyes glued to his book, as if he wasn’t the one jerking off the other monk – barely inch away but completely untouchable.  
As he moved his leg, the fold of his kimono that covered it opened a bit more, revealing more skin and a little bit of underwear. Ukoku licked the lips he had been biting until now, mentally cursing that temptation and appreciating at the same time.

He wished Koumyou would say his name, or just anything really; hearing his voice now would probably drove him over the edge. But the silence was deep and only his own pants and strangled moans disturbed it.  
He closed his eyes and imagined his own little fantasy of Koumyou leaning over him, saying the most dirty things with that peaceful expression of his and that mere thought made his back arch. His hands grabbed the sides of the chair as an attempt to stay as still as possible but he couldn’t control his heated voice _“please, please Koumyou----”_

Sparks of colours dancing under his eyelids as he grew closer and closer thanks to the delicious caress on his already leaking length and---  
The next moment, the pressure was gone. Ukoku, who had been holding his breath, didn’t notice it right away, it took him a few seconds as he felt his orgasm slowly draw back.  
Dumbfounded, his eyes blinked open to the sight of Koumyou Sanzo, his legs carefully crossed and entirely covered by the kimono. That son of a---

“ _Koumyou!_ ” his outraged tone made Koumyou slightly tilt his head towards him.

“What is it, Ukoku?”

Frustration and anger flushed Ukoku’s face as he found himself at loss for words, cursing under his breath. Koumyou closed his book and took a long drag of his pipe only to exhale it right in Ukoku’s direction.

“That’s much better.” The bastard dared to smile. Ukoku wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch him, or rather punch himself for falling in his trap. Of course that punishment earlier wasn’t the real deal ; after years of living together, Koumyou knew better. He knew exactly how to have Ukoku’s attention and- how to make him regret not listening to him. Leaving him with a painful erection and no release was one way.

Ukoku fell back in his seat, sighing in resignation. What a reunion, was it? Koumyou never changed. But _he_ was the only one who knew who he really was, he was the one allowed to stay by his side. No one else. Not that dumb kid refusing to wake up. No little apprentice found in the river no, that one had already been _ditched_ . Ah! His good mood was back. Just thinking about little Genjo and his traveling companions, unaware of what the both of them had been up to these twelve past years. _He_ had been along Koumyou while the stupid kid mourned and made himself all tough. He could keep his “ _hold nothing_ ” bullshit; Ukoku had something far more precious to hold onto.

The thought made him laugh out loud and all that pent-up frustration was already forgotten. Oh, to think about all these people that had been fooled! And how he never had been part of them. Maybe for a short while, after he earned his title of Sanzo and was forced to travel with him, back then when he thought how boring it was to be around such a perfect saint man – that it would be fun if he could soil and debase him.

He would quickly learn that, there was nothing saint left in Koumyou Sanzo.

There maybe was, at some point, the old man confessed years ago (a very rare occurrence made possible by the amount of sake drank that night). He once believed in something, in others, but as he kept losing those close to him in the most cruel way and asked the gods why, they merely started at him in silence. So he decided to turn his back not only to the gods, but to the rest of the world too.  
Ukoku wasn’t sure how much of this was true and how much was a metaphor for something else, as usual with Koumyou’s stories. But he sure loved to see people fall for his act.  
They glorified him and got blinded by the pure white halo they pictured over his head, not realizing it wasn’t a halo, but a gaping mouth full of sharp-cutting teeth ready to tear their limbs off.  
Koumyou claimed that, unlike Ukoku, inflicting pain to others didn’t bring him any pleasure. But wasn’t it worse? He built this solid wall of glass in front if him, where other people's feelings slide against like water, never reaching him, never bothering him. He just smiled and kept going. After all, who planned the destruction of the place he lived for years, where he raised a child, only to witness the entire thing vanish in flames and smoke with an icy-cold stare? He sure took his time to leave Kinzan temple that night, walked through every corridors as if he had to make sure everything was destroyed.  
And he left a traumatized crying child behind.

That was Ukoku’s biggest pride.

As Koumyou left his seat to put back his book in its place, the younger monk stood up as well and flung his arms around his chest, pulling him into a tight embrace.

_Mine._

The opposite was probably truer but – he was happy with both. Koumyou laughed and the sound resonated in both their ribcages as Ukoku pressed his face against the other’s neck.

“Did you miss me that much, Ukoku?”

“What do you think?”

“With you, I’m never sure.”

 _That makes both of us_.

Ukoku Sanzo had to admit that while he had worked all these years under Koumyou’s orders, he himself had little interest in the reunion of the _Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon_ . Oh, he was curious to see if it was as grand as scrolls pictured it, sure, but that was all. However, if that turned _this man_ into some sort of immortal god… he was okay with the idea of eternity if that meant he could spend it with him. Wasn’t that a bit sappy?

Koumyou’s hand under his chin made him lift his head and he leaned in closer for a kiss. Instead, a finger pressed against his lips.

“Come on, after that little trick you pulled, I at least deserve a kiss.”

“Later, after you brush your teeth and shave.” the old monk freed himself from Ukoku’s embrace, “This look is something even my Seiten sutra can’t fix.”

Ukoku rolled his eyes, admitting defeat. While he left the room to go take a quick shower and finally change clothes (he stayed far too long in those robes covered in blood and mud), he stopped in front of a door. Not the bathroom’s, but that kid’s room.

He opened, not bothering to turn on the light. The useless kid was in his bed, asleep as usual, his breath as regular as the beeping noise from the monitor next to him. Ukoku watched him a long moment, expressionless as if he looked at some bug.

“Hurry up and die, will you.”

He knew Koumyou saved him so Genjo would have a companion his own age when he joined them, or some shit like that. This had always been Koumyou’s plan – recruiting Genjo sooner or later. Those damn kids would _not_ ruin what they had...

Ukoku shook his head and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

\----------------------------

When he returned a moment later into Koumyou’s room, freshly shaved and finally wearing something clean, the old man was looking at a map and greeted him with a wave.

“Oh, look at that. You’re wearing one of my kimonos.”

“Aren’t you wearing one of mine? I thought this was fitting.”

Koumyou nodded:

“When was the last time you wore something _white_ that wasn't your Sanzo robes? I like it. Come closer.”

Ukoku walked across the room and took a look on the map opened on Koumyou’s desk. They were done chit-chatting about clothes, weren't they.

“Genjo and his friends should have reached India since the last time you’ve seen them.” _called it._

“I think so. It has been a few weeks already.”

“Hmm...”

Ukoku frowned. He knew what was coming next.

“Let’s hurry and greet him then, before he meets the owner of the Kouten. I can’t wait to see the look on his face!”

“Convincing him won’t be easy. He grew quite attached to his friends now.”

“Now, Ukoku” Koumyou laughed as if he was scolding a child. A cold, empty laugh, “I need my Maten sutra back and _I know_ he will give him back. It’s not like I’ll leave him a choice.”

He joined Ukoku’s side, cupping his face before planting a firm kiss on his lips.

“Then we’ll retrieve the Kouten sutra together and come _home_. The three of us.”

Amber eyes met black ones, and as Ukoku thought about something to reply, glimmering silver caught his eyes. The full moon, still the only source of light in the room. The halo over Koumyou’s head, that pure light that had already devoured all of him. He didn’t need to look closer, he could tell the sharp teeth were ready to bite what was left of him and he would gladly let them.

Even dressed in black and with that sinister smile, Koumyou was radiant. Ukoku didn’t mind going blind once again if it was because of him. He didn’t mind if that fake crooked halo found its way around his neck to strangle him. Giving his everything to this light… he had done so years ago.

He took the hand still caressing his cheek and kissed its palm in utter devotion.

“As you wish.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the **Minekura Secret Santa 2018** as a present for **Gio**! Merry Christmas~  
> And bless **Mari** for proof reading this!
> 
> Ok so I can’t resist the “mastermind Koumyou” AU lmao I've been playing with the idea for years already so I jumped on the occasion to write about what I think he would be like as a villain and... I'm not sure what happened because somehow it ended more about Ukoku as the sidekick than about Koumyou! Also, maybe Ukoku is a bit ooc here, but since it's an AU... that's how I imagine he'd end if he spent years working for a bossy Koumyou who managed to tame our favourite trash crow years ago.
> 
> Anyway, I thought I'd add it but since nobody knows what the Seiten sutra does yet I went with the “holy” part and thought that as the opposite of the Maten it’d have a healing/restoring power. My AU, my rules, my Seiten~  
> (Oh by the way "that child" is Kami-sama, I hope this was clear enough)


End file.
